Rob Elliot: We MUST repay ‘amazing’ Newcastle fans at St James’s Park

Miles Starforth

Rob Elliot says Newcastle United’s players are looking to take out their derby day frustration on Stoke City.

Steve McClaren’s side were beaten 3-0 by Sunderland last weekend.

We dominated, even with 10 men, and played the better football. We’ve just got to keep our heads up. We’ve just got to pick ourselves up and carry on from there.

Rob Elliot

And the result has left the club second-bottom of the Premier League ahead of tomorrow’s home game against 14th-placed Stoke City.

Newcastle had dominated the first half of the Wear-Tyne derby.

But the game was turned on its head by the decision to award a penalty against Fabricio Coloccini – and send off United’s captain – in first-half injury time for a challenge on Steven Fletcher.

Coloccini has since had his red card rescinded after the club appealed, and the club’s captain will lead the team out against Stoke, who knocked Chelsea out of the Capital One Cup this week.

McClaren’s players were applauded off the pitch on Wearside – despite the result.

And goalkeeper Elliot is desperate to give the club’s fans something to shout about back on Tyneside.

Elliot said: “The only thing we can do is take it on to Saturday and Stoke and get some positive results.

“You’ve got to look at the positives, and also the negatives, and see where you can improve.

“There’s the win (against Norwich), and the performance against Chelsea and the first halves against Man City and Sunderland.

“We’ve got to make sure we take that into Stoke. We’ve got to keep building.”

Referee Robert Madley’s decision to send off Coloccini and award a penalty has dominated the post-derby headlines.

Speaking after the card was rescinded, Coloccini said: “It is justice.

“It’s not a surprise to me that the red card was overturned, because it was a wrong decision. I am happy because I am able to play against Stoke, but it does not change what happened on Sunday.

“The red card affected the game and the result.”

Elliot, set for a long run in United’s team with Tim Krul ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate knee ligament playing for Holland earlier this month, is confident that there won’t be a hangover from the club’s sixth successive defeat.

“Everyone’s gutted,” said the 29-year-old, who signed a new long-term contract early last year.

“It was a massive decision. We were in total control of the game.

“I think the lads played really well. We dominated possession and got loads of opportunities.

“Obviously, the big difference in the game was the one-man advantage.

“I think we still had the better chances in the second half. I don’t think the scoreline was a reflection of the game.

“It’s a massive game, and you just want to do well for the club and make the fans proud.

“Coming off, we were absolutely gutted with the result. I think the scoreline itself didn’t show what happened in the game.

“We dominated, even with 10 men, and played the better football.

“We’ve just got to keep our heads up. We’ve just got to pick ourselves up and carry on from there.”

Elliot also paid tribute to the club’s 2,800-strong following on Wearside.

“They were amazing,” said the Republic of Ireland international, in Martin O’Neill’s provisional 39-man squad for the two-legged Euro 2016 play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina next month.

“They were in great voice and got behind the team, even when we went down to 10 men.

“They were encouraging us, but we couldn’t quite get the goal to equalise. We wanted to show our appreciation to the fans (at the final whistle).

“We’ve got to make sure we carry it on for next week. We can’t let the confidence we’ve built up go.”

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s players will wear special poppy-embroidered shirts for the Stoke game to mark Remembrance Day.

They will be auctioned off after the game to raise money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.